Claim of foreign intelligence service’s role in arrest of hired gunman confirmed

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The Justice Ministry over the weekend announced that a person named Muthukuda Arachchige Don Suranga Dilruk, proprietor of the building ‘Atambahamula bim vasiya’ in Kuliyapitiya had moved Court of Appeal against journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrema, Harini Amali Cabraal Wijetunga and Keerthi Ratnayake for their comments on the judiciary in relation to an ongoing court case.

The Justice Ministry released the three petitions filed by Dilruk in terms of Article 105(3) of the Constitution.The appeals pertaining to a case heard by the District Court of Kuliyapitiya regarding the ownership of the building called ‘Atambahamula bim vasiya’ consisting of 176 units. The respondents were Gamma International (Pvt) Ltd, Kiribathgoda and two of its directors.

Appearing on ‘Truth with Chamuditha’ released on 20 Sept., 2023, on behalf of Gamma International (Pvt) Ltd., Wijetunga said that the property worth Rs 2-4 bn belonged her company and she was ever grateful to the judiciary for doing away with an interim order issued in connection with the case.

In spite of the favourable court directive received in March this year Kuliyapitiya-based thugs had prevented her from moving into the premises, Wijetunga alleged. Therefore, the services of private security personnel had been obtained to regain the building, she said, claiming that a lawyer hired by her parents to represent their interests had switched his allegiance to the other party.

Chamuditha Samarawickrema told The Island that he was ready to face the legal challenge. He asked why the Justice Ministry had intervened in that matter. Samarawickrema said that there hadn’t been previous instances of the Justice Ministry releasing petitions filed in respect of a private case along with a statement to the media. According to the Justice Ministry, the petitioner moved Court of Appeal having found fault with ‘Truth with Chamuditha’ programme posted on 20 Sept., 2023, two Facebook posts by Keerthi Ratnayake on June 23, 2023 and Aug same year and Chamuditha Samarawickrema’s ‘News Brief’ programme on Aug 23, 2023

Wijetunga has said that she had received a threatening call from a person identified as Ganemulle Sanjeewa soon after another gangster based in Kuliyapitiya involved with the gang called her.

Wijetunga has accused the CID of failing to take action against those involved in spite of her taking up this issue with Public Security Minister Tiran Alles. Declaring that complaints lodged with the CID as well as Police Headquarters hadn’t yielded the expected results Wijetunga justified her decision to seek assistance of a serving officer with the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) to arrest Ganemulle Sanjeewa with the backing of a foreign intelligence service. She has declined to confirm whether India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is the outfit she referred to in her interview with Chamuditha Samarawickrema.

Ganemulle Sanjeewa was taken into custody at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) as he arrived from Nepal on 13 Sept. Wijetunga repeatedly denied allegations that she had the backing of SLPP Kurunegala district MP Johnston Fernando and used political influence to pursue the case over the disputed Kuliyapitiya building.

She has alleged that several lawyers based in Kurunegala and Kuliyapitiya, including an Acting judge had been involved in producing forged deeds and were part of the racket. They wouldn’t be named at the moment on the advice of her lawyers, Wijetunga said, alleging that in addition to the mastermind, a businessman and an MP were involved in this racket. They too would be named and her lawyers had advised her against doing so at the moment, Wijetunga said.

Wijetunga said that her team of lawyers comprising Jagath Wickremanayake, Ronald Perera, Samantha Premachandra, Niroshan Siriwardena and Chaminda Atukorale had handled her case well.